What Fundação Lemann does

Fundação Lemann is a private, nonpartisan Brazilian family philanthropic foundation founded in 2002 by Swiss-Brazilian entrepreneur Jorge Paulo Lemann, headquartered in São Paulo with an additional center in Sobral, Ceará. Its mission centers on two pillars: (1) supporting public education policies that ensure age-appropriate literacy and learning for every Brazilian child, and (2) developing diverse leadership committed to addressing Brazil's social challenges.

The foundation does not sell products or services and operates a small core staff (1-10 employees) through a collaborative-philanthropy model, funding and coordinating an ecosystem of more than 100 partner organizations and six international Lemann Centers at Stanford, Harvard, Oxford, Columbia, the University of Illinois, and (from 2026) the University of Zurich. Core programs include literacy initiatives such as Educar pra Valer (49 municipalities, 847,000+ students) and Parceria pela Alfabetização em Regime de Colaboração (PARC, 18 states, 3.5 million students), delivered via partner Associação Bem Comum; digital-learning platforms including YouTube Edu, Khan Academy (Portuguese localization supported since 2011), AprendiZap, and Simplifica; leadership pipelines such as Rede de Líderes (700+ members), Brasil on Campus, Instituto Trajetórias, and Ensina Brasil; and infrastructure initiatives such as MegaEdu (public-school internet).

Resources come from the Lemann family and co-investing philanthropies (notably the 2022 VélezReyes+ partnership with Nubank's David Vélez). The foundation reports measurable outcomes including a 10 percentage-point rise in 2nd-grade readers under Educar pra Valer (55% to 65% between 2023 and 2024), a 41 percentage-point increase in adequate reading levels in PARC states since 2021, and a cumulative reach of more than 8 million Brazilians, while pursuing the Aliança pela Alfabetização's goal of 95% child literacy by 2031.

Name

Fundação Lemann

Legal name

Fundação Lemann

Website

https://fundacaolemann.org.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Fundação Lemann is a private Brazilian family foundation founded in 2002 by Jorge Paulo Lemann that funds an ecosystem of 100+ partner organizations and six international university centers to improve public education literacy and develop diverse leadership across Brazil, reaching over 8 million people to date.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropic Foundation for Education and Leadership

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH), Foundation/NGO & Philanthropic Scholarships (EDAIAOAH), Field-of-Study & Discipline-Specific Funding (EDAIAOAD), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

Keywords

• Education philanthropy
• Public education policy
• Literacy programs
• Leadership development
• Collaborative grantmaking

Headquarters

HQ city

Pinheiros

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Collaborative Philanthropy: As a family philanthropic organization, all resources come from the Lemann family or other organizations and co-investing philanthropies. The foundation operates with collaborative philanthropy logic, combining knowledge, purpose, and resources to amplify the impact of initiatives. Programs with public agencies are done via technical cooperation agreements without transfer of public funds.
2. Co-investment partnerships: The foundation connects and invests in common purposes with partners in an impact ecosystem to generate collective legacy, enabling fundamental actions to promote equity in learning for all children and adolescents and fostering diverse leadership representative of Brazil.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Fundação Lemann is a nonpartisan, family philanthropic foundation that funds and supports programs aimed at guaranteeing literacy by the end of second grade, promoting adequate learning throughout the school journey, expanding educational innovation and connectivity in public schools, and developing diverse Brazilian leadership. It delivers impact through grants and technical cooperation agreements with a network of more than 100 partner organizations, governments, universities, and research centers, including direct operation of literacy programs, scholarships, and six international Lemann Centers.

Product overview

Fundação Lemann is a nonpartisan, family-based philanthropic organization focused on two core pillars: (1) Public Education - supporting quality education policies through programs like Alfabetização (literacy), Aprendizagem Adequada (appropriate learning), and Inovação e Conectividade (innovation and connectivity), delivered via partner organizations such as Nova Escola, Khan Academy, MegaEdu, and Instituto Reúna; and (2) Leadership Development - through Desenvolvimento de Líderes, Bolsas e Oportunidades (scholarships), Rede de Líderes (network of 700+ leaders), and Brasil on Campus programs. The organization operates through an ecosystem of impact including co-investment partnerships, international Lemann Centers at Stanford, Harvard, Oxford, Columbia, Illinois, and Zurich (with Nobel laureates Duflo and Banerjee), and supports 100+ grantee organizations reaching over 8 million Brazilians. Key initiatives include the Aliança pela Alfabetização targeting 95% literacy by 2031, the Bem Comum Association's Educar pra Valer and PARC programs, and various technology-enabled learning platforms like AprendiZap, YouTube Edu, and Simplifica.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Centros Lemann: Research and leadership development centers established in partnership with world-class institutions including Stanford, Harvard, Oxford, Columbia, Illinois, and University of Zurich.
• Rede de Líderes
• Brasil on Campus
• Cátedras Fundação Lemann
• Aliança pela Alfabetização

Products and services

• Alfabetização (Literacy Program) Program ensuring all children are literate by the end of second grade, emphasizing eradication of school illiteracy. Targeted at public basic education networks in Brazil.
• Aprendizagem Adequada (Appropriate Learning) Initiatives to create schools capable of engaging children and adolescents throughout the school journey, reducing inequalities and promoting holistic development. Targeted at public school networks in Brazil.
• Inovação e Conectividade (Innovation and Connectivity) Program that supports initiatives transforming classroom reality and invests in technological solutions for education, including high-speed internet access for public schools. Targeted at public basic education networks in Brazil.
• Desenvolvimento de Líderes (Leader Development) Initiatives connecting diverse Brazilian leaders, providing training, mentorship, and support networks that drive innovative solutions to the country's challenges. Targeted at emerging and established Brazilian leaders across sectors.
• Bolsas e Oportunidades (Scholarships and Opportunities) Scholarship programs supporting diverse Brazilian talents who wish to expand their academic and professional horizons through international university programs. Targeted at Brazilian students and emerging leaders.
• Rede de Líderes (Leaders Network) Network connecting people working to transform Brazil into a fairer and more developed country. Over 700 members committed to social impact, guided by ethics, dialogue, independence, and action. Targeted at Brazilian leaders and social impact professionals.
• Brasil on Campus Program strengthening the academic and professional journey of Brazilian students studying at some of the world's most prestigious universities. Targeted at Brazilian students abroad and alumni networks.
• Coinvestimento (Co-Investment) Collaborative philanthropy approach that connects and invests with partners in an impact ecosystem to generate collective legacy for equity in learning and leadership development. Targeted at fellow philanthropies, NGOs, and impact investors.
• Educar pra Valer Technical advisory program for municipalities committed to implementing good pedagogical management practices. Organized in five axes: network management, pedagogical management, training, monitoring, and sustainability. In 2024, present in 49 municipalities across 12 states, reaching over 847,000 students. Targeted at municipal education secretariats.
• Parceria pela Alfabetização em Regime de Colaboração (PARC) Partnership supporting state education secretariats in designing and implementing literacy policies that strengthen collaboration with municipalities. In 2024, present in 18 states covering 3,594 municipalities and 3.5 million students. Targeted at state education secretariats.
• Aliança pela Alfabetização (Alliance for Literacy) Initiative bringing together Fundação Lemann, Bem Comum, Instituto Natura, Co-Impact and other partners to ensure 95% of Brazilian children are literate by the end of 2nd grade by 2031. Targeted at the Brazilian public education ecosystem and aligned with national policy.
• Centro Lemann para Liderança e Equidade na Educação (Sobral) Located in Sobral, Ceará, Brazil. Strengthens public policies and supports school networks in advancing literacy and learning with racial equity. Targeted at state and municipal public education networks in Brazil's Northeast.
• Lemann Center at Stanford University International research and leadership center at Stanford University focusing on educational innovation and social entrepreneurship. Targeted at the global research community and Brazilian policy leaders.
• Lemann Center at Harvard University International research center at Harvard University including the Brazil Studies Program and Brazil Research Fund to promote research on Brazil and high-impact public policies. Targeted at global researchers and Brazilian policy leaders.
• Lemann Center at University of Oxford International research and policy center at University of Oxford focusing on public sector leadership development and policy research. Targeted at global public sector leaders and researchers.
• Lemann Center at Columbia University International research center at Columbia University dedicated to interdisciplinary research related to Brazil's social realities. Targeted at global researchers and Brazilian policy leaders.
• Lemann Center at University of Illinois International research center at University of Illinois focusing on education and public policy studies. Targeted at global researchers and Brazilian policy leaders.
• Lemann Center at University of Zurich Newly announced research center at the University of Zurich focused on education, social development, inequality, and public sector innovation. Directed by Nobel Prize winners Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee with activities starting July 2026. Targeted at global researchers and Brazilian policy leaders.
• Cátedras Fundação Lemann (Lemann Chairs) Academic chairs at Harvard, Stanford, Illinois, University of Southern California, St. Gallen, and Insper promoting cutting-edge research on key issues for Brazil. Targeted at global and Brazilian researchers.
• Programa Formar Partnership with 25 public school networks supporting learning for over 1 million students through distance support and sharing of best practices. Targeted at public school networks across Brazil.
• Programa Escola que Protege School protection program created by Law 14.643/2023 for preventing and addressing bullying in schools. Forms education professionals, supports network planning, and offers psychosocial support. Targeted at Brazilian public schools.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10 percentage point increase in student readers (55% to 65%) in Educar pra Valer municipalities between 2023-2024
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

30 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of ZurichcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 October 2025New Lemann Center for Education, Development and Public Policy led by Nobel Prize winners Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee. Initial investment of 26 million Swiss francs. Activities begin July 2026.
• VélezReyes+ (Nubank)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 October 2022Five-year strategic partnership with David Vélez (Nubank founder) and Mariel Reyes. Part of 'The Giving Pledge' with $6 billion commitment. Supports seven existing initiatives: Nova Escola, Centro Lemann, Ensina Brasil, MegaEdu, Insper, Legisla Brasil, Motriz. David Vélez joins Lemann Foundation Board.
• Associação Bem ComumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Founded in 2018 by professionals from Sobral's educational transformation. Key partner implementing Educar pra Valer (49 municipalities, 847,000+ students) and Parceria pela Alfabetização em Regime de Colaboração - PARC (18 states, 3.5 million students). Sobral's model helped Ceará achieve Ideb of 6.3 from 2.8 in 2005.
• Nova Escola (Associação Nova Escola)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit providing resources and training to millions of teachers and education managers in Brazil. Digital platform of reference in education with free solutions for public schools.
• Khan AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership since 2011. Khan Academy is the country's most advanced implementation globally. Salman Khan states Brazil is a role model for their work.
• MegaEducoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitiative focused on delivering high-speed internet to all public schools in Brazil, promoting digital transformation of education.
• Instituto ReúnaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDevelops tools to support educational ecosystem in building and implementing coherent and systemic pedagogical policies focused on learning.
• MotrizcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCivil society organization created to attract, train, and shape future public leaders across Brazil to address the country's most complex challenges.
• Ensina BrasilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit that transforms education by recruiting and developing top graduates from best universities to become public school teachers and education leaders.
• Instituto NaturacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in literacy programs including PARC and Aliança pela Alfabetização. Committed to quality education and social transformation.
• Fundação Roberto MarinhominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in 'Vamos Aprender' project providing educational content through television and digital platforms.
• Instituto UnibancominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in educational policies and initiatives supporting public education improvement.
• CIEB (Centro de Inovação para a Educação Brasileira)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in educational technology initiatives including 'Vamos Aprender' project.
• Stanford UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLemann Center at Stanford focuses on educational innovation and social entrepreneurship. One of five international university partnerships.
• Harvard UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLemann Center at Harvard includes Brazil Studies Program and Brazil Research Fund promoting research on Brazil and impactful public policies.
• University of OxfordcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLemann Center at Oxford focuses on public sector leadership development. Partnered on COVID-19 vaccine trials with Oxford/AstraZeneca.
• Columbia UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLemann Center at Columbia focuses on interdisciplinary research related to Brazil's social realities.
• University of IllinoiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLemann Center at University of Illinois focuses on education and public policy studies.
• InspercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts Lemann Foundation Chair for applied research in economics and public policy. Also hosts Latin American office of J-PAL and ADEPT Network hub.
• J-PAL (Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal network for evidence-based policy research founded by Duflo and Banerjee. Insper hosts Latin American office.
• Gerando FalcõescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial organization supported with financial and technical resources. Raised R$12 million in meal vouchers for 40,000 families in 300 favelas during COVID-19.
• Consed (Conselho Nacional de Secretários de Educação)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Council of Education Secretaries - partner in remote learning initiatives and policy articulation.
• Undime (União dos Dirigentes Municipais de Educação)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnion of Municipal Education Directors - partner in remote learning and educational content initiatives.
• Todos pela EducaçãocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNGO working since 2006 with government and civil society to improve design and implementation of structural educational policies.
• Legisla BrasilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-partisan civil society organization working with parliamentarians to enhance representation and invest in public policies.
• AmplificaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloped 'Simplifica' platform for remote learning in partnership with Lemann Foundation.
• Sincroniza EducaçãominorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTechnical partner providing expertise in pedagogy for remote learning support to school districts.
• FiocruzcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrazilian Oswaldo Cruz Foundation - recipient of COVID-19 vaccine production facility donation for pandemic response.
• University of Oxford (COVID-19 partnership)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to bring Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine trials to Brazil. First 1,000 trials funded by Lemann Foundation.
• Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConducted COVID-19 vaccine trials in São Paulo. Led by Prof. Sue Ann Costa Clemens.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Gates Foundation: Global philanthropic foundation with large-scale education grantmaking programs; comparable as a much larger incumbent operating in the same education-philanthropy space, though with global rather than country-specific focus.

Direct peers

• Fundação Itaú Social: Major Brazilian corporate philanthropic foundation with overlapping focus on public education, evidence-based programs, and co-investment partnerships. Listed as a core co-investor of Fundação Lemann.
• Co-Impact: Global philanthropic collaborative funding education, health, and economic opportunity; co-funds Aliança pela Alfabetização with Fundação Lemann and is directly comparable as a peer education funder.
• Instituto Natura: Brazilian institute working on education, literacy, and social impact; co-invests with Fundação Lemann on literacy programs including Aliança pela Alfabetização.
• Fundação Roberto Marinho: Brazilian foundation focused on education and social development; partners with Fundação Lemann on the 'Vamos Aprender' digital/TV learning initiative, making it a directly comparable peer.
• Imaginable Futures: Global philanthropy focused on learning and education across the lifecycle; partnered with Fundação Lemann on remote learning during COVID-19 and shares the education-grantmaking model.
• Fundação Estudar: Brazilian leadership development organization supporting Brazilian talent; directly comparable as a Lemann-network organization operating scholarships and leader training.
• Instituto Unibanco: Brazilian institute focused on improving public secondary education through management and governance programs; shares Fundação Lemann's evidence-based public-policy approach and partner ecosystem.
• Todos pela Educação: Brazilian NGO focused on structural education public policy monitoring and advocacy since 2006; operates in the same public-education policy articulation space as Fundação Lemann.

Regional players

• Fundación Carlos Slim: Major Latin American family foundation funding education, health, and digital inclusion; comparable as a Latin American family-philanthropy peer with strong education pillar and technology-enabled learning platforms.

Market position

Strengths2 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fundacaolemann
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/FundacaoLemann
• Facebookfacebook.com/fundacaolemann
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/1137862
• Instagraminstagram.com/fundacaolemann

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fundação Lemann